Category Archives: Meetings

Love & Leadership: Our Next Frontier

From the birth of civilization to the modern day, history has seen many types of leaders and leadership classification systems.

One recurring theme may be labeled the autocratic-democratic distinction. At this extreme end, we see the tyrannical despot who rules by fear.

At the other end, we see the benevolent and generous guardian who inspires with love. This panel on “Love and Leadership” dives deeply into the latter approach.

Each of the panelists brings depth of knowledge and experience as modern research and practice has yielded new insights on how to lead with love.

This session of the Dallas Fort-Worth OD Network will be conducted like a symposium. Following an initial break-out for networking, a moderator will introduce a discussant and panel.

Each panelist will present their viewpoints and the discussant will provide a framework for discussion and review. The session will end with Questions and Answers with the audience.

Please join us on February 13 (“Valentines-Day-Eve”) as we experience this increasingly important leadership approach.

Panel:    {see BIOs below} 

• Dr. Frances Baldwin, Principle consultant at Designed Wisdom, Inc, author, adjuct professor BGSU
• Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones, Chartered Psychologist and Chief Executive of The Cognitive Fitness Consultancy, author of The Corporate Love Model
• Dr. Joel Bennett, CEO, Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems
• Dr. Steve Cady, Professor of Management, Director of Doctorate in OD&C at BGSU; author; speaker
• Dr. David Fearon, Award-winning thought leader, author, scholar-practitioner and conversationalist probing the nature of Practice, Practice? Podcaster!
• Rick Gage, Executive Director of the Center for a Loving Workplace (CLW)

Moderator:  Kristina Eiting, General Manager Asphalt Owens Corning, Doctoral student, Organization Development and Change, Bowling Green State University

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening February 13:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

Panel BIOs:

Dr. Frances Baldwin is an experienced executive coach certified by the Gestalt Center for Organization Development and Change. She has developed resilient leadership in city government and petrochemical companies. After 13 years at Exxon, she launched Designed Wisdom Consulting. With 48 years of experience, she helps women lead their lives from within. Her clients include nuclear energy, aerospace, government, and education sectors.

Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones is an organizational and people development specialist with expertise in leadership, team development, emotional intelligence, and executive coaching.  As a UK Chartered Psychologist, she developed the concept of ‘cognitive fitness’ at work. Her doctoral research focuses on Authentic Leadership, and she has created five psychometric tools. She has also authored four books on leadership and relationships, and is an academic Fellow at the University of Birkbeck, supervising the Professional Doctorate in Occupational Psychology.

Joel Bennett, PhD, is President of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS), specializing in wellness and e-learning technologies. Since 1985, OWLS programs have reached 250,000 workers. He developed “Team Awareness” and “Team Resilience,” recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Health. Bennett earned his degrees from SUNY Purchase and UT-Austin. Visit organizationalwellness.com and presencequest.life for more.

Steven H. Cady, PhD, is a Professor of Management & Organizational Development and founding Director of the Doctoral Program in Organization Development & Change at Bowling Green State University. He has authored over 30 publications and books, including “The Change Handbook.” Dr. Cady has served on various editorial and organizational boards and founded NEXUS4change. He holds a PhD from Florida State University and an MBA and BSBA from the University of Central Florida. He lives with his partner Jacque and their sons on a farm in Ohio. (Website)

Dr. David Fearon is an Emeritus Professor of Management and Organizational Behavior from Central Connecticut State University. After retiring, he joined with Peter B. Vaill to produce the Practice? Podcast and co-author On Practice as a Way of Being. Upon Professor Vaill’s death, Fearon continued the podcast with nearly 300 episodes with 250 practitioners in various fields. Made widely available in social media, Dr. Fearon’s podcasting and appearances on other podcasts and virtual seminars have grown his reputation as “that Practice fellow”.

Rick Gage is the Executive Director of the Center for a Loving Workplace (CLW).  Per Rick, workplace suffering takes a toll on employees and families, costing organizations greatly. However, focusing on workplace culture can lead to high performance. For over a decade, my passions have been Compassion & Mindfulness @ Work. Recently, I’ve focused on “Connectedness” – fostering community and personal growth. My career includes working with top global companies and climbing to Vice President. Sabbaticals helped me redefine my work approach, now centered on connectedness and joy.

Moderator:  Kristina Eiting     As General Manager Asphalt for Owens Corning, Kristina brings more than 25 years of industry experience in various leadership roles. She earned her BS from California University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from Bluffton University. She sits on several nonprofit boards and is pursuing her doctorate in Organization Development and Change at Bowling Green State University where she is focused on the impact of love in leadership.

Virtuous Leadership:  
The Elusive and Oft-Neglected Role of
Character in Leadership Development  

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Virtuous Leadership as an approach to leadership development and practice. This presentation and discussion will explore the unique perspective brought by a focus on virtues in leaders.

We’ll specifically explore the models of virtuous leadership created by two contemporary scholars: Alex Havard, founder of the Virtuous Leadership Institute in Europe and the US, and author of Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence (3^rd edition, 2022); and Dr. Andrew V. Abela, Dean of the Busch School of Business at Catholic University of America, and author of SuperHabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life (2024).

From this foundation, we’ll consider the role that virtue has played in other leadership models including Servant Leadership (Greenleaf, 1971), Transformational Leadership (Burns, 1978), and Heart-Centered Leadership (Steinbrecher & Bennett, 2003, 2014, 2022).

Please join us on January 9 as we begin the new year with this timely topic.  Bring your own examples as well as your questions, ideas and suggestions as we discuss the role of virtues in leadership development.                

Speaker:  Dr. Ben Dilla   {see BIO below} 
         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening January 9:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIO:

Our presenter, Dr. Ben Dilla, has been enamored with the study, practice, and teaching of leadership since he took the first course on leadership as a cadet at the Air Force Academy. Graduating with a BS in Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, he later attended graduate school in Industrial & Organizational Psychology at Purdue University, earning his MS and PhD.

Ben taught graduate level courses in organizational sciences at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, OH, and the undergraduate leadership course at the Air Force Academy during his Air Force career, in addition to working as an aircraft maintenance officer, personnel scientific analyst, and personnel officer. In his corporate career, Ben continued teaching leadership, management, and organizational behavior as an adjunct for several universities while working as a Senior Consultant for Personnel Decisions International (now Korn Ferry) and Director of Leadership and Organization Development at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital.

Ben became an adjunct instructor in 2014 and a full-time Affiliate Assistant Professor in 2017 for the Gupta College of Business at The University of Dallas.  He also provides executive coaching, leadership training, and HR consulting through his own practice, Bold Leader Development (BLD LLC).

Annual Networking/Social Meeting
and “Gold Elephant Book Exchange”

Note: For the first time in 2 years we are meeting in person! 
(Apologies to our loyal remote followers – we will be back on Zoom in January.)

Meeting Goals:
  – Connect: get to know others better – personally & professionally
  – Learn: share knowledge informally during the book exchange
  – Enjoy: fellowship + creative responses (and humor) of the game

Please bring a gift-wrapped book that is meaningful to you — perhaps a book from your own library to ‘pay it forward’ or one from a second hand bookstore. Don’t spend a lot of money – it’s the thought that counts!

The game will be similar to a traditional white elephant gift exchange — each person in turn will unwrap a book or ‘steal’ one that someone else has already opened. Unlike ‘white elephants’ (which are often useless), the books are ‘gold elephants’ that will contain some unique nuggets of wisdom when opened (or stolen) by the right recipient! Discovering those golden nuggets will be part of the game as people talk about the books they give (and the ones they get)!

Handout/Procedure for the ‘Gold Elephant Book Exchange’

Presenter / Facilitator: Jim Jameson

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
–  6:30  Intros / Networking / Food
–  7:00  Announcements / Program
–  8:45  Closing and evaluation

Meeting Location:  

University of Dallas – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *

    SB Hall:   2925 Gorman Dr,  Irving, TX 75062   
    SB Hall is #34 on the UD Campus Map      [Lat/Long Nav]  

Cost:   Suggested donation $10 for food.

Facilitator BIO:   

Jim Jameson is currently “semi-retired” from his various consulting roles and is exploring new avenues.  His professional mission has been to improve the success rate of technology adoption projects, working mainly in the areas of Business Analysis, Change Management, Collaboration, and Knowledge Management.  He believes that focusing on the people side of technology change is the key to improving ROI on transformational ‘IT solutions’.

Jim earned an MS degree in Information Systems and post-grad certificate in Knowledge Management, both from George Washington University in DC.

Creating Our 2025 Program!  

Hello OD Visionaries and Practitioners!

As we set our sights on crafting 12 exceptional ideas for 2025, we recognize the need to explore a variety of perspectives and suggestions. The more diverse our pool of ideas, the more our final selection will be representative of our community’s needs & interests.

To facilitate this, we’ve set up a Google Form for your advance contributions. Then on Thursday November 14 we’ll be holding a dynamic session on Zoom, where discussions will be animated and collaborative. Additionally, we will use a collaboration platform to serve as the space where these ideas will converge and evolve.

Please join us on November 14th for a session designed to be swift, interactive, and fulfilling. We’ve optimized the process to make your participation smooth and efficient.

Please get Involved:

• Submit your ideas now: Link to Form
• Join the November 14 Zoom discussion — Register Here
• Collaborate and shape the ideas:  [Link to be provided later]

Guiding us through this discovery process is our dedicated ‘Cat-Herding Team’:  Tristan Martinez, Terri Adkisson, Audrey Wyatt, Jim Jameson, and Pete Sorenson.

Are you ready?  Let’s collaboratively craft the blueprint for 2025! 
         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening November 14:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

The usual gang (see past meetings)! 

Size Matters: Navigating Team Communication Dynamics from Small to Large  

Join us on Thursday, October 10 for an engaging DFW OD Network session. This interactive presentation will explore the crucial differences in communication requirements between small and large teams, and how to effectively design for these varying interpersonal dynamics.

As a group we’ll explore:

• Defining “small” & “large” in team contexts and the impact on human system dynamics
• Examining team boundaries across functional, cross-functional, trans-organizational, and global perspectives
• Does the org style matter?  Hierarchies vs networks vs permissionless environments; alignment of teams within teams
• Service vs Asset-based organizations
• Team Communications: Content, relationships, power, status  (good place for improv exercise on one-up, one-down)
• Team vs Org culture: The role of psychological safety, innovation, and empowerment in team success

We’ll also look at the challenges of scaling communication during rapid growth, the concept of “good & bad friction” in team dynamics, and how org infrastructure affects team functioning.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into optimizing team communication across various scales and structures!

Speakers:  Terri Adkisson and Pete Sorenson   {see BIOs below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening October 10:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

Terri Adkisson sees things that aren’t there yet but should be, resulting in profitable innovation and change. As an external Chief Clarity Officer and problem solver for CEOs and boards, she helps focus their company’s genius.  Terri brings her wealth of strategy, operations, and organizational development experience to guide leaders through complex challenges, often using both systems thinking and the power of story to illuminate solutions and chart clear paths forward. She shifts client organizations from a tale of uncertainty amid chaos to one of effectively balancing their corporate What & Why with their How.

Based in Dallas, Texas, she holds an MBA from UT Austin, is a co-author of two books on virtual facilitation, and has worked with organizations in over 20 industries.  Her canine office assistant Tango often makes guest appearances on DFW OD Network Zoom meetings.

Pete Sorenson is a freelance designer of teams, organizations, networks, and ecosystems. He has been doing this for a long time and he is still trying to figure things out. He has curiosity, a sense of adventure, a penchant for experimentation and innovation, as well as a sense of humor. He listens well.

He is searching for the next generations of ideas that can be used to design the gaggles of human beings doing work in the digitally fueled, messy context that is the future of our local, national, and global societies. He works to develop the next generations of humans to do that work. He looks for signals that come from on and over the horizon that can give us clues about what comes next and what will work.
     

From Words to Impact: 
Mastering Motivating Language  

Communication is vital to growing positive organizational performance and stakeholder well-being. Yet the communication skills that cultivate these valuable outcomes are not always intuitive. These abilities are states, not traits, which are learned and developed.

Just as important, many current guidelines for effective communication are vague, not relevant to real-world applications, and/or limit communications’ rich potential to fulfill critical goals such as higher performance, job satisfaction, retention, psychological safety, and to nurture a culture which aligns organizational vision with employees’ diverse values. Fortunately, the Motivating Language framework promotes these aspirations through translating evidence into a comprehensive road map.

This session introduces you to the Motivating Language framework and its three dimensions (hands, heart, and spirit) and offers practical applications for resourcing Motivating Language in the workplace. This model has been tested and refined over the past thirty years within a wide range of organizations to create relevant guidelines for most organizational settings. Highlights of this session include:

• The prerequisites needed for implementing successful Motivating Language

• Guidance for leaders (formal and informal) to effectively practice Motivating Language

• Interactive and collaborative activities to enhance Motivating Language skills.

Please join us on September 12 for this highly interactive session!
              

Speakers:  Milton Mayfield and Jacqueline Mayfield  {see BIOs below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

  
Schedule for Thursday Evening September 12:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

MILTON MAYFIELD co-founded Hands, Heart, and Spirit – an institute dedicated to optimizing work-life experiences, stakeholder well-being, and organizational outcomes through better communication. He has consulted with such companies as Sony Mexico, BBVA Compass, the Texas Department of Transportation, Virginia Tech, and Florida Hospital. He retired as Professor of Management from the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business at Texas A&M International University where he received the university award for outstanding scholarship, and earned his PhD in business administration from the University of Alabama.

JACQUELINE MAYFIELD co-founded Hands, Heart, and Spirit. She has worked for and consulted with such companies as Blue Cross Blue Shield, BBVA Compass, the Texas Department of Transportation, Virginia Tech, and Florida Hospital. She retired as the Radcliffe Killam Distinguished Professor of Management from the A. R. Sanchez Jr.  School of Business at Texas A&M International University, holds a PhD in business administration from the University of Alabama, an MBA from the George Washington University, an MAT in French from the University of Chicago, and a BA in French from the George Washington University.

Milton and Jacqueline serve as Co-Editors of the International Journal of Business Communication and for Palgrave Macmillans’ book series New Perspectives in Organizational Communication.  Their most recent books on organizational communication are Motivating Language Theory: Effective Leader Talk in the Workplace and Fundamental Theories of Business Communication: Laying a Foundation for the Field.

The Power of Stories:  
Driving Positive Change in Your  Organization & Career 

Join experts Carly Riehle, Doug Bellah, and Terri Adkisson for an engaging discussion on the impact of storytelling in the workplace. In this session, you’ll discover:

• How stories have shaped cultures throughout history and continue to influence our work environments
• Practical ways to use storytelling to inspire change in your organization and personal career
• Real-world examples, interactive discussion, and activities showing how leaders can craft compelling narratives to unite teams and align goals across all levels of an organization

Please join us on August 8 to hear the rest of the story!                

Speakers:  Carly Riehle, Doug Bellah, Terri Adkisson  {see BIOs below} 

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening August 8:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

Carly Riehle is the manager of a Strategic Program Management Office working on enterprise wide, large scale change initiatives.  She has nearly 20 years of experience as a covert OD consultant having worked inside organizations in multiple industries including for-profit education, shipping, residential construction, and banking.

She is a project manager at heart, who thrives on helping others meet their goals and has been PMP certified since 2014.  Storytelling helps her connect with project stakeholders, team members and fellow project managers, to build trusting relationships and guide people towards a common goal.

Carly has a Master’s degree in Organizational Development from Pepperdine University and lives in Bedford, TX with her husband and three sons.  She serves in her church and speaks on OD related topics across the Dallas Fort Worth Area.

Doug Bellah‘s mission is to empower teams and organizations to create spaces where impactful questions, conversations, and stories can drive enduring change. He is passionate about enabling employees to express their thoughts, share ideas, and shape new narratives within and beyond meetings. Doug is curious about how storytelling influences psychological safety, trust, relationship building, and inclusion, enhancing creativity, knowledge sharing, and co-creation.

Through a hands-on learning approach, he guides teams and organizations to create spaces where thought-provoking “what if” questions lead to practical steps for meaningful change and inclusion. With insights from leadership roles in retail, manufacturing, and broadcast media, combined with his doctoral degree in organization development and change, Doug ensures everyone in the meeting space feels at ease expressing their thoughts. He currently lives in the greater Grand Rapids, MI area with his wife and four kids.

Terri Adkisson sees things that aren’t there yet but should be, resulting in profitable innovation and change. As an external Chief Clarity Officer and problem solver for CEOs and boards, she helps focus their company’s genius.  Terri brings her wealth of strategy, operations, and organizational development experience to guide leaders through complex challenges, using the power of story to illuminate solutions and chart clear paths forward. Storytelling helps her shift clients from a tale of uncertainty amid chaos to one of effectively balancing their corporate What & Why with their How.

Based in Dallas, Texas, she holds an MBA from UT Austin, is a co-author of two books on virtual facilitation, and has worked with organizations in over 20 industries.  Her canine office assistant Tango often makes guest appearances on DFW OD Network Zoom meetings.        

Who Should OD Be
Cross-pollinating With? 

Cross-pollination is a strategy that has been implemented in business settings for many years.  By this we mean bringing people from different disciplines or departments together for the express purpose of allowing their skills and knowledge to influence each other. 

The practice of cross-pollination leads to enhanced creativity, innovative thinking, and creative solutions to puzzling challenges.

Businesses rely on OD professionals to provide insight and actions to address these challenges. But how do we ‘practice what we preach’?  This program will address the question of who and how OD professionals should be using cross-pollinating tactics to enhance their own creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills.

Following a presentation that highlights the best examples of successful business cross-pollination strategies, we will discuss a few questions in small groups – allowing our skills, knowledge, and experience to influence each other in our own cross-pollination exercise!

Please join us on July 11 to contribute your pieces to our puzzle!

Speaker:  Janette Helm   {see Bios below} 

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening July 11:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIO:

Janette Helm, MA, is an OD Consultant, RN, Certified Wellness Practitioner, and Certified Health Education Specialist. She is recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

She is an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Executive Education at Indiana University, Indianapolis, facilitating leadership development workshops for healthcare executives and non-profit organizations. She draws on her experience in health care Organizational Development, Education, and Mission leadership roles, as well as her volunteer work in multiple organizations.

Janette’s top strength in the Clifton “StrengthFinders” assessment is “Connectedness,” followed closely by “Learner.” Both strengths led to her interest in the topic of “cross-pollination” for ODs.

Psychological Safety:   
Measures, Experience, You & Me 

This meeting is both a research and experiential session. We will highlight psychological safety literature for future consideration. Participants will be guided in interactive sharing and decision-making exercises designed to enhance psychological safety in group settings. Dr. Bennett has used these exercises in his evidence-based Team Awareness training practices for over twenty years.

We will review different definitions and models of psychological safety to provide participants with an understanding that psychological safety, like most psychological constructs adapted for the workplace, is multidimensional and subject to interpretation. Accordingly, our use of experiential exercises will afford participants an internal/emotional sense of what “psychological safety” means to them at a personal level.

Please join us on June 13 to learn about and experience Psychological Safety!

Speakers:  Dr. Joel Bennett and David Reazin     {see Bios below}
           
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening June 13:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

Dr. Joel Bennett is President of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS), author of nine books and over 30 peer-reviewed research articles and trainer of over 1,000 facilitators and coaches.  OWLS programs have reached over 250,000 workers in the US and internationally.

David Reazin works at the Environmental Protection Agency in the Community Infrastructure Section.  Projects include Congressional Earmark infrastructure projects and he also serves as the Recovery and Mitigation Coordinator working with FEMA and other federal agencies on natural disasters.  He holds a BA in Chemistry, BA and MS in Geology from Indiana University, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington.

The Multigenerational Advantage:    Leveraging EACH for Success!  

Have you ever timed buying a pizza so that you could stack the most coupons to get that sweet deal? Maybe it’s 20% off on Tuesdays, the local paper gave you a 5% resident’s discount, and you have a Free Delivery coupon from your child’s school. What was $21.95 (not including tax and delivery fees) is now only $14!

What if we were able to cherry-pick the best that each generation present in the workforce has to offer, embed those values into the processes and ways of working, and create a truly, highly effective company?

As a Zillennial, I stand at the intersection of Millennials and Gen Z, witnessing the profound impact that the youngest generation is having on the workforce. In this discussion, we’ll explore how Gen Z’s unique values and expectations are reshaping the definition of a “successful” company and what organizations may need to do to remain relevant and competitive in the future.

Our goal for this session is to engage in co-creation in what the tactics and strategies of OD-professionals may be during the imminent transition of leadership from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millennials. How can we implement innovative organizational design? How can organizations adapt to meet the changing needs? And how can we ensure that the wisdom and experience of previous generations are not lost in that process?

Please join us on May 9 to stack the generational deck and leverage each for success!

Speaker:  Tristan Martinez     {see Bio below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening May 9:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIO:

Tristan Martinez is an Organizational Design Consultant who specializes in Human-Centered Design Thinking and Behavioral Analysis. She holds an undergraduate degree in Organizational Development from the University of North Texas and has earned multiple certifications, including Project Management Professional and Prosci Change Practitioner.

Throughout her time in the military, Tristan focused on developing the leadership capabilities of individuals and fostering a culture of transformational leadership that has influenced today’s Naval leaders. As a lifelong learner, Tristan believes the more she learns, the more she realizes how much there is to know. She has a true dedication for helping organizations achieve meaningful change that is beneficial for their most valuable assets – the people.

Dialogue in Organizations:    
Be Curious & Seek Shared Understanding    

A lot is happening in organizations and ecosystems today. Change is moving at a head spinning pace. Sometimes in our haste to get things done we forget that to align and coordinate to get things done we need to focus on building constructive, nourishing human connections.

Are we curious enough to wonder how an issue looks from another person’s perspective? Do we wonder about a perspective we lack that might make a huge difference?

Listening to understand, rather than to respond, is a way to unlock better options and enlist others to join us in collective action.

So how do we go about developing such a shared understanding? Is there an approach that is foundational to collective progress?

Yes, there is an approach, dialogue, which increases the possibility of building shared understanding by asking us to “hold our ideas lightly” and to recognize that the other is “a person first and an opinion second.”

Those are big asks, not easy to do and they take practice. We’ll get started on that practice when you join Nancy and Pete as we collaboratively explore an approach to Dialogue in Organizations that can work!

Please join us on April 11 for this important conversation!

Speakers:  Nancy Dixon and Pete Sorenson     {see Bios below} 

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening April 11:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:  

Nancy Dixon:     I’m a long time academic turned consultant and coach.  I’m a runner, a committed yoga practitioner, a meditator, a mother of two and a grandmother of three. What I care deeply about is that the people who work in any organization have a voice to influence what their organization does and what it stands for. My aspiration is to help make organizations worthy of organizational members putting their life’s blood into their work, because all of us have a desire to have our labor serve something that we view as worthy. I believe that happens when organizations learn how to hold meaningful conversations among their employees.

At heart I’m a writer and have written eight books and over 80 articles about how to make those conversations happen in organizations. My latest thinking is in my blog called “conversation matters” at www.nancydixonblog.com/.

Pete Sorenson:     I’m a freelance designer of teams, organizations, systems, networks, and ecosystems. I have been doing this for a long time and I am still trying to figure things out. I am curious, have a sense of adventure, a penchant for experimentation and innovation, and a sense of humor. I listen well. People having a voice in organizations is important to me. It is important as a part of people fulfilling their potential as humans. It is important as a way for organizations to tap into the information, perspective, and engagement that can help organizations fulfill their potential.

I will be starting a Substack soon called “Puzzling On Organizations & Ecosystems.”  I am puzzling about Human Centered Artificial Intelligence a lot lately.

Linking OD and AI:  
Exploring Proactive Digital Transformations  

The words “AI” quickly grabbed the world’s attention last November with the launch of large language models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. While artificial intelligence has been present for many years, Generative AI has sparked intense interest and focus in utilizing these technologies throughout our organizations. Our role as OD Practitioners and Consultants hinges on understanding how to apply Human-Centered AI concepts to the design and deployment of these technologies.

This month’s conversation is not aimed at orienting participants to the technology, but rather, developing our collective understanding in becoming proactive in advancing the quality of human life and the business performance these technologies may provide our organizations.

Please join us on March 14 for this timely topic!

Speakers:  Bert Painter and Tristan Martinez     {see Bios below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening March 14:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:  

Bert Painter is an independent consulting social scientist and documentary filmmaker who has facilitated participative design of work organizations with employers, unions, and communities across Canada and internationally since 1970. Current consulting work involves digital transformation of manufacturing processes and organization in a multi-national pulp and paper company. Of prior significance was a National Science Foundation-funded study of virtual organization of multi-institutional Research & Development, with findings published in a 2016 edition of an International Journal for Team Performance Management.

As a filmmaker, Bert has produced over 20 documentaries on innovative workplaces in North America, including “Engineering for Commitment”, the history of socio-technical design of work in North America. Meanwhile, a new film series on The Future of Work is in development.

Tristan Martinez is an Organizational Design Consultant who specializes in Human-Centered Design Thinking and Behavioral Analysis. She holds an undergraduate degree in Organizational Development from the University of North Texas and has earned multiple certifications, including Project Management Professional and Prosci Change Practitioner.

Throughout her time in the military, Tristan focused on developing the leadership capabilities of individuals and fostering a culture of transformational leadership that has influenced today’s Naval leaders. As a lifelong learner, Tristan believes the more she learns, the more she realizes how much there is to know. She has a true dedication for helping organizations achieve meaningful change that is beneficial for their most valuable assets – the people.